When an internet user accesses an internet site (often referred to as a web site) it is often difficult to determine how confident the user should be of the bona fides of the site and site provider. It is known, therefore, for third parties to offer a digital hallmarking service.
A digital hallmark service operates as follows. A web site provider will have their site verified or authenticated, for instance for the security of their commercial transactions if a user purchases items or services from them over the internet, and once verified the verification centre gives the provider a verification number. A user, when accessing the site, will see a pictorial representation of a verification, often in the form of an illustration of a seal, which if they click upon it will link them to a page with details of the verification and the unique verification number.
Although at first sight this may seem a useful system, it is very easily open to abuse. A nefarious site provider can simply copy the link image (typically a seal) and a verification page from a respectable verification provider or competitor site and the user accessing the site is none the wiser. There is no independent verification at this stage.
It is, therefore, a significant problem that current verification systems do not in reality offer security or confidence to users.
It is an aim of the preferred embodiments of the invention to obviate or overcome disadvantages encountered in relation to the prior art.